Nick Riewoldt highlights ‘the final straw’ in the Ugle-Hagan saga as AFL backs the missing star.

Nick Riewoldt has shared his thoughts on the “frustration” surrounding the Jamarra Ugle-Hagan situation, while an AFL leader has spoken out in defence of the missing Western Bulldogs forward.

The 24-year-old has yet to play this season, and on Tuesday, the club announced that Ugle-Hagan would be taking indefinite leave to address personal matters.

As a former high draft pick, his future now appears uncertain—not only with the Bulldogs but within the sport itself, even amidst speculation linking him to other teams.

In a conversation on SEN’s Whateley on Wednesday morning, executive general manager Laura Kane outlined that a “management plan” is in place for Ugle-Hagan following his decision.

“We’ve been collaborating with Jamarra, the Bulldogs, his management, and his family—there’s a management plan established,” she stated.

“I’m not going to dive into the specifics as they’re personal to Jamarra.

“Our goal is for Jamarra to navigate through his challenges, and if he wishes to return, we want him to play football and enjoy a long career.

“Dr Kate Hall leads our mental health and wellbeing team, and we’re committed to providing available resources to players when needed.

“The priority is that Jamarra focuses on his wellbeing and reaches a point where he can train and play, should he choose to. The approach he takes is a personal matter for him.”

“He’s an exceptional young man and a talented player; if he can overcome these challenges, we’d love to see him back on the field.”

Ugle-Hagan has netted 103 goals across 67 games for the Bulldogs since his debut four years ago and is recognised as one of their key players.

Despite his absence and the potential distractions this may cause, Luke Beveridge’s side has managed to secure four wins this season, placing them eighth on the AFL leaderboard.

Riewoldt commented that the Bulldogs are grappling with the uncertainty of Ugle-Hagan’s availability.

“The frustration for the Bulldogs comes from the unpredictability of his attendance; he might show for training one week, then be absent the next,” the St Kilda legend stated on Triple M’s Mick in the Morning.

“Without a clear timeline, it’s like a lucky dip—such inconsistency creates distractions. The final straw likely came when the team went to Adelaide for the Gather Round; he was absent from a mandatory training session for players who didn’t travel on the Saturday morning.

“Currently, he is receiving full pay, with amounts between $800,000 and $900,000 for the year.

“I believe the pendulum of power has swung too far in favour of players, resulting in situations like this. While it’s a sensitive topic given the mental health aspect, clubs should have some discretion to recover a portion of those funds.

“It seems that players can exploit the system.”

“Numerous rumours are floating around about his commitment to the game – we won’t delve into those here – but it’s tough to envision him representing the Bulldogs again this season.”

Ugle-Hagan’s teammates are set to compete against Port Adelaide this Saturday afternoon.